Where We Are

Gallery Crawl: January 26, 2018 - 5:30-10pm (free and open to the public)

January 26-April 8, 2018

Ryoichi Kurokawa and Novi_Sad

Works:

unfold.alt and constrained surface, Ryoichi Kurokawa

Sirens, Ryoichi Kurokawa and Novi_Sad

About Sirens:

Ryoichi Kurokawa & Novi_sad collaborate to create Sirens, an impressive body of work comprising five audiovisual pieces which explore the aesthetics of data. Sirens is a collection of digitally rendered visual formations and sound compositions, whose intensity fluctuates as in relation to the unfolding of the economic downturn. Tied to the fate of the global markets, the more the economy fails (as represented by data and, indexes); the more developed and complex the coupled sounds and visual sequences become. Any disintegration of financial fortunes leads directly to the emergence of a greater creative energy in an inverse ‘tug-of-war’. Sirens elucidates the relationship between generative visualization and cinematic practices, as this computer generated video work transforms our understanding of the relationship between moving image, data and the cinematic. By immersing the spectator in an audiovisual scape and narrative, the work heightens the performativity of processes, be they ‘technological’ or ‘natural’. The title of the work is inspired by the Greek mythological creatures that seduce sailors ashore into danger, as a metaphor for market fervor leading to economic collapse.

About unfold.alt:

[ unfold ] is an audiovisual installation that renders the star formation into 8 minutes looped tactile audiovisual composition which is composed of 3ch HD projection and 7.1ch surround sound. Observations of the star in various wavelengths in the Galaxy such as the Vela and simulation data like gravitational collapse, supernova are translated into human scale audible/visible/tangible phenomena.

It provides immersive audiovisual synesthetic experience through the projection extending upward and the surround sound with bass shaker floor. The scientific truth is temporally/spatially compressed into installation format and the viewer experience cosmic phenomenon as perceptible 3 dimensional audiovisual composition.

2016 [ unfold.alt ] is a screening version of “unfold” which is originally developed as an installation. It contains 10 phases presented in reverse chronological order of stellar formation. In original installation version they are arranged in chronological order as: Interstellar medium, Molecular cloud,

constrained surface exemplifies Ryoichi Kurokawa’s approach to art-making and his experimentation with the qualities of synaesthesia, a core part of his work. Synaesthesia, in medical terms, refers to a condition where a sensation in one of the senses triggers a sensation in another. This results in a merging of experience in unexpected ways, where one may taste numbers, or hear colours. Within an arts context, this term marks the merging of a sensory experience to the point where you cannot adequately describe one input (i.e. sound) without talking about another (touch, sight, smell).

constrained surface delivers a synaesthetic experience through its unison of light, colour, sound and movement as well as exploring the surprising possibilities of what can be experienced within the boundaries of a frame.

By playing with the confines of a screen almost in the way a painter would play with the limits of a canvas, this work highlights the way in which Kurokawa deftly uses digital methods and tools (as well as commercial technology) to articulate his work. He does so whilst ensuring that the technological elements never overshadow the expression within the piece, but rather enhance the artistic experience, creating moments of surprise and wonder.

Artist Biographies:

Ryoichi Kurokawa was born in 1978 and lives and
works in Berlin, Germany. Kurokawa’s works take on
multiple forms such as installation works, recordings
and concert pieces. He composes time sculptures with
field recordings and digitally-generated structures,
and reconstructs architecturally the audiovisual
phenomenon. In recent years, his works have been
shown at international festivals and museums
including Tate Modern, the Venice Biennale, Palais
de Tokyo, Transmediale, EMPAC, YCAM and Sonar.

Ancient Olympia-based artist Thanasis Kaproulias
(Novi_sad) treats every sound with sculptural integrity
with a resulting resonance that immerses the listener.
His approach is inspired by the idea of “cinema pour
l’oreille” (cinema for the ear) and he aspires to “donner
à voir” (lead to seeing), by means of sound. Many of his
projects are focused on architectural acoustics while
in other projects, he utilizes quantitative and numerical
data from different sources such as NASA.

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Wood Street Galleries
601 Wood Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

+1 (412) 471-5605
Info@woodstreetgalleries.org

About Us

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust operates Wood Street Galleries, which features multi-disciplinary artists from all over the world. Located above the T-Station at Wood Street and Sixth Avenue, Wood Street Galleries also houses the Trust's shared office space program which provides a home and tools for small arts organizations.